Henry Tan (WA): To investigate Campylobacter risk controls and surveillance in chicken meat production and processing

The fourth in a series of interviews for Australian Rural & Regional News with 2024 Churchill Fellowship recipients whose projects have a rural or regional focus.

Project outline¹

This project aims to identify effective food safety and biosecurity risk controls in the production, and processing of chicken meat that will result in a reduction of consumer exposure to Campylobacter, the leading cause of foodborne illness in Australia. By comparing Australian primary production and processing processes with countries with low Campylobacteriosis rates and mature Campylobacter control programs in chickens, gaps and areas of improvements can be identified. The differences in Campylobacter surveillance programs from the primary production stage through to clinical case cluster investigations will also be explored to identify elements that can be incorporated into Australia’s system.

ARR.News: Can you briefly describe the current risk controls and surveillance for campylobacter in chicken meat production and processing?

Henry Tan: There are four critical Campylobacter risk controls commonly implemented across chicken meat processing facilities across Australia:

1. Pre-slaughter feed withdrawal: Chickens are taken off feed for a few hours before slaughter. This reduces the amount of faecal matter that will be in the chicken and minimises contamination of processing facility equipment.
2. Evisceration: During this step, the internal organs are completely removed without tearing. This is crucial to prevent contamination of the chicken meat.
3. Carcass wash and disinfection: The cavity and outer surfaces of the carcass are spray-washed before disinfection in a water bath. This further reduces Campylobacter present on the surface of the carcass. Disinfected chicken carcasses are routinely tested for Campylobacter counts.
4. Temperature control: In the water bath, the chicken meat is cooled rapidly to prevent Campylobacter from growing and the final product temperature is maintained throughout the whole food supply chain.

Currently, all commercial chicken farms need to have biosecurity controls in place to prevent the introduction of avian diseases into their flock. Farmers ensure all equipment, vehicles, and personnel entering the production area do not carry harmful pathogens that will infect the chickens.

ARR.News: Are these onerous and costly to producers? 

Henry Tan: Coupled with veterinary measures, the biosecurity measures implemented by farmers have been successful in keeping their birds healthy and free from avian diseases. However, Campylobacter species that affect humans do not impact on the health and welfare of chickens. This is the main reason why there is currently limited surveillance and control of Campylobacter on farm.

Chicken meat farmers are some of the most hardworking and dedicated people I know. In addition to caring for their chickens, cleaning their sheds, maintaining their farm and equipment, they must be on farm at odd hours to prepare their flocks for collection. They have a very tight production schedule that demands a lot of their time and energy. As the current biosecurity measures are not effective in controlling Campylobacter, I hope to identify effective measures that can be easily introduced and incorporated into their existing practices.

Chicken meat processors have significantly improved their process controls since Food Standards Australia New Zealand introduced the Poultry Process Hygiene Criteria in their Compendium of Microbiological Criteria for Food in 2016. In Western Australia, there has been a decrease in Campylobacter counts the chicken carcasses after final disinfection across our main processors. This improvement was achieved over time as processors invested in resources and equipment upgrades to improve the quality and safety of their products. Processors dedicate a significant amount of time and resources to checking the critical controls in their processes and monitoring for any changes in the equipment and plant performance.

ARR.News: Can you see that it might be possible to streamline and improve upon these?

Henry Tan: Despite the marked improvements in processing controls, it is disappointing that these have not translated into a reduction in human illness caused by Campylobacter from chicken meat. Though our locally acquired cases have remained stable over the past few years, our case rates are significantly higher compared to other countries with more mature Campylobacter control programs in chicken meat production. For example, our case rates are three times higher than those in Sweden.

Furthermore, countries like Sweden, Denmark, and Netherlands do not disinfect their chicken carcasses as we do. Their ability to maintain a low infection rates in both chickens and humans is truly impressive.

Through my Churchill Fellowship, I hope to bring the learnings from these countries back to Australia to assist the industry in producing a safer product for the Australian community.

About Henry Tan

As the Principal Scientific Officer at the WA Department of Health’s Environmental Health Directorate, Henry coordinates the implementation of WA’s Foodborne Illness Reduction Strategy which aims to reduce the prevalence of locally acquired foodborne illness in WA. He was part of the Salmonella Outbreak Response Taskforce that won the WA Health Excellence in Preventative Health Award in 2023 for its achievement in reducing WA’s salmonellosis cases by 64 per cent from its historical high in 2017. 

Henry is a strong advocate of the One Health approach to improve food safety. Along with his team at the Food Unit, he closely collaborates with food producers, the Communicable Diseases Control Directorate and local government Environmental Health Officers to manage food safety risks and to help food producers better understand the food safety risks in their operations and their impact on public health. He represents WA in various national working groups responsible for the implementation of the food standards code and primary production standards. Having worked in the Environmental Health field for more than 17 years, Henry has conducted numerous Environmental Health investigations and recognised the crucial role of Environmental Health in mitigating public health risks at the source. His current focus is on reducing campylobacteriosis, a gastrointestinal illness contracted by more than 250,000 Australians every year. By identifying and implementing effective solutions that address the root causes of the illness, a long-term improvement in public health can be achieved. 

Henry has a Bachelor of Health Sciences with Honours from the University of Western Australia, majoring in Public Health and Environmental Microbiology.

Reference
1. https://www.churchilltrust.com.au/project/to-investigate-campylobacter-risk-controls-and-surveillance-in-chicken-meat-production-and-processing/
Related stories: 2024 Churchill Fellowship recipient: Dean Gilligan, 2024 Churchill Fellowship recipient: Kelly Lees, 2024 Churchill Fellowship recipient: Jo Wills